THE Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) women are now faced with an uphill task to qualify for the final of the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) after falling to a heavy 59-run defeat to Barbados Royals at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, on September 10.
It was TKR’s second consecutive loss to start the campaign. TKR will have to win their remaining two preliminary round matches to have any chance of qualifying for the finals in the three-team tournament.
Royals scored 137/6 batting first, before TKR replied with 78/9 in 15.3 overs. Zaida James picked up a leg injury while fielding and could not bat.
Royals openers Qiana Joseph and Chamari Athapaththu got the Barbados franchise off to a rollicking start with a 59-run partnership.
Joseph faced most of the deliveries, hitting boundaries regularly in the powerplay.
The pair guided the Royals to 59 in the seventh over, before Athapaththu was dismissed for 14 off 12 deliveries.
The TKR bowlers started to pick up wickets more regularly, which included two wickets in two balls by captain Deandra Dottin.
Dottin bowled Courtney Webb for five and the next ball removed the off stump of Royals captain Chinelle Henry for duck.
TKR were now back in the contest as Royals slumped to 89/4 in the 13th over.
In the next over, spinner Samara Ramnath got the prized wicket of Joseph for 63 off 52 balls (eight fours, three sixes) as TKR now had their noses in front.
Some late order hitting by former TKR player Kycia Knight steered Royals to a competitive 137/6 in 20 overs.
Knight struck an unbeaten 33 off 21 deliveries, an innings with four fours.
Dottin ended with figures of 2/22 in four overs.
TKR’s run chase got off to the worst possible start, reduced to one run for two wickets after Shawnisha Hector and Jahzara Claxton both fell for duck as Sheneta Grimmond grabbed two wickets off consecutive balls in the second over.
Lizelle Lee and Jess Jonassen mounted a recovery with a 24-run partnership, but with the score on 25 two more wickets fell.
Spinner Athapaththu dismissed Jonassen for ten and then three balls later Shabika Gajnabi for duck.
Royals would have been sensing victory when Dottin was caught for six to leave TKR wobbling on 36/5 after seven overs.
Opener Lizelle Lee showed grit, but with little support, TKR could only manage 78/9. Lee batted for the entire innings, closing on 39 not out off 44 deliveries, a knock with six fours and a six.
Athapaththu was a handful, snatching 4/7 in three overs and Sheneta Grimmond picked up 2/12 in two overs.
TKR will play Guyana Amazon Warriors next on September 13 at 4 pm. The entire WCPL is being held in Guyana.
Summarised scores:
BARBADOS ROYALS 137/6 (20 overs) (Qiana Joseph 63, Kycia Knight 33 not out; Deandra Dottin 2/22) vs TKR 78/9 (15.3 overs) (Lizelle Lee 39 not out; Chamari Athapaththu 4/7, Sheneta Grimmond 2/12). TKR won by 59 runs. Newsday
